


Some Things Are Meant to Be

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Adrinette April 2018 [10]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gabriel Agreste Is Not Hawk Moth, Mutual Pining, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, University
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 18:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14361030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: Adrien went AWOL at the end of a huge shoot and Marinette hasn't seen him in nearly three years.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien bump into each other on campus and get reacquainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 1-4 are for Adrinette April 2018  
> Chapter 5 is a bonus for wrap up  
> Chapters 6-8 are from Fluff August 2018 (because I apparently felt the wrap up was insufficient)  
> Chapters 9-? are for Adrinette April 2019
> 
> Adrinette April prompt #17 - bumping into each other.

"Excuse me."  The familiar voice spoke softly, nearby.  "Marinette? Is that you?"

Marinette looked up into startling green eyes she didn't ever expect to see in person again.  "Adrien?" she gasped, dropping her sketchpad to the low brick wall she was sitting on. "Oh my gosh, it **is** you.  How have you been?   **Where** have you been?"  She leaped to her feet and stepped forward to hug him.  Or rather that was her intent, but her feet got fouled in the strap of her bag and her step turned into more of a lunge, followed by face-planting into his chest.  "Ack! Sorry!"

The warmth of Adrien's laugh carried through his chest, as his arms wrapped around her, holding her up.  "Oh, Marinette, it's just like old times."

Kicking off her bag, she righted herself and looked up at him.  "Wow. You're here. Why are you here?"

He grinned.  "You're full of questions.  Alya's influenced you."

She shrugged.  "Or Chat Noir," she suggested.  "Curiosity and cats, you know." She still met up with her partner once a week, though for the moment Paris was free of supervillains.  

"Do you have to be anywhere right now?" he asked, glancing around the busy campus, bathed in the late spring sunshine.  "I'd really love to catch up."

She gestured to the wall she'd been sitting on.  "Pull up a brick. I'm done with classes for the day, and was just out here brainstorming for some final projects."

His eyes went wide, his expression concerned.  "Oh… I didn't interrupt you when you were on a roll, did I?"

Shaking her head, she held up the most recent page, marked with random doodles of the nearby spring flowers.  "This is what happens when inspiration isn't striking." She flipped to another page filled with rushed sketches and hastily scrawled notes about colors, accents, and fabrics.  "And **this** is what happens when I'm on a roll."

Adrien held out a tentative hand.  "May I?' he asked, his tone and hunched shoulders suggesting he expected to be rebuffed.  This impression was reinforced by the surprise on his face when she pushed the book into his hand.

Marinette sat down and put her pencils into her bag and waited while he looked at her unfinished draft designs.  "We were all pretty worried when you vanished. Are you able to talk about what happened?" Fortunately he'd reached out to Nino after the first week, letting his best friend know that he was okay.

He had a soft smile on his face as a finger traced one of her designs.  "Yeah. I… well I guess you could say I ran away from home." He glanced up and shrugged, strangely looking younger than he was.  "I'd pretty much had it with my father and his… well his everything. So without telling him, or anyone else, I applied to university and left after a big summer photoshoot.  I waited until I was well into first semester to contact my father."

"Were you out of the country?" she asked, curious how he'd been able to hide so well.

That prompted a chuckle.  He closed her book and handed it back to her.  "Actually, I was just on the other side of Paris.  But Paris isn't small. I think we forget that sometimes."

"Yeah," she agreed.  "But you're kind of distinctive."

"Heh."  He fished out his cell phone and scrolled for a moment.  "I dyed my hair brown and wore dark contacts." He held out the phone, displaying a photo that had to be him from two years ago.

"Oh my god."  She grabbed the phone out of his hand.  "I mean… this guy could be like your brother or cousin, or something."  He was also wearing a simple t-shirt and hoodie, his hair an unstyled mess that rivaled Chat Noir's.  She nodded. "Nice. Your cousin's a looker."

That spurred another laugh out of him.  "Wait. Are you saying he's prettier than me?"  He placed one hand on his chest in mock indignation.

Marinette leaned back, tilting her head as she assessed him.  He'd put on weight, which was honestly a good thing. His shoulders and arms had definitely gotten more muscular.  The sweet boyishness he'd held onto during his gap year was gone, and if anything he was more handsome. Stupid genetics.  "I dunno," she drawled, glancing back at the photo on his camera and tapping at her lips. "This guy seems a bit more approachable than all this."  She gestured to him. Then she smiled. "But I sure am glad to see all **this**." She held out his phone.

There was a long moment of silence. "What?" he prompted.

"What do you mean, what?" she replied.

"You have a question.  I can practically see the speech bubble question mark hanging over your head."  He waved at the air over her hair.

He wasn't wrong, but she was afraid what the answer would be.  She sighed. Better to know. "Why are you here?" she asked softly.  "Are… are you going to disappear again?" She didn't want to get attached to the idea of him if he was just going to go AWOL again.  She understood why he had to do it, but she wasn't sure she could take it again.

His smile faded.  "I'm so sorry about that."  He looked down. "I was so focused on getting away from home that I… I didn't really think about anything else."

"It's fair."  She shrugged. "It was something you needed to do."

He nodded.  "Yeah. But I am back now.  I've transferred programs, and I'm making a little money on the side helping teach modeling here."

"Oh."  The sense of relief was almost overwhelming.

The tops of his ears turned pink.  "I… I've been here all semester, and I… I kind of saw you a few weeks back."  He fiddled with his phone nervously. "I've been trying to get the nerve to talk to you."

She held out her hand.  "My number hasn't changed, but I assume you lost all of that."

He nodded, silently unlocking the phone and handing it over.  "Does this mean it's okay to call you?"

She nodded once.  "And text. I'll even accept obnoxious memes."  She smiled as she handed the phone back. "I've missed you, Adrien."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they've gotten reacquainted, Adrien is modeling an outfit for Marinette's design class final.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #22- fashion.

"Is it ready?  Can I see it?" Adrien had barely crossed the threshold into her studio and was already begging to see the project.

"I wouldn't have expected you to be so eager about this," Marinette said, shaking her head as she held out a hand to take his coat for him.  "You left modeling."

He shrugged.  "I  **mostly** left modeling.  I'm teaching it, if you'll recall."  He grinned, apparently still pleased that he'd gotten to show up in her staging and presentation class the last few weeks, to help illustrate the ways their designs can be best highlighted in a photoshoot or on the runway.  He'd taken great delight in talking about all the lighting and color errors that could tank an otherwise spectacular design.

"Yeah, but the university is paying you to do that," she pointed out.  "You volunteered to help me." He'd actually nagged her to let him model for her design final, calling in favors from Nino and Alya to get them on his side when it looked like she was considering paying a modeling student.

"You're a friend, I want to help you."  He bent down and untied his brown oxfords, pushing them off with his toes. "I want to make up for being a terrible friend for the last two years."

She rolled her eyes.  "You're  **already** forgiven."  She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the need to emphasize her sincerity.  "You needed out. I'm just sorry I didn't realize how bad it was for you, that I didn't help you get out sooner."

He shook his head.  "Nope. My friends do not get to assign themselves blame for this."  He waved his hand a bit, as if pushing aside her words. "Gabriel was a shitty father, and I was groomed very young to hide things like manipulative neglectful family members."

"Your therapy's showing," she teased. Leading him over to the rack next to her now empty clothing form. 

"I know."  He grinned.  "Isn't it awesome?"

She was glad he'd done what he needed, to get to a healthier state of mind.  They'd been hanging out almost constantly since they bumped into each other on campus six weeks back, and he'd been terrifyingly frank about his home life and why he'd run the way he did.

"So is it done?  I want to see it so badly, I think I might actually combust."  He rubbed his hands together.

She pulled a garment bag off the rack and handed it to him.  "Here you go. Put the whole thing on, and I'll go through and mark for adjustments on all the pieces."  She was pretty good with sizing from measurements, so she was hoping there wouldn't be too many alterations needed.

Snatching the bag, he darted into her bedroom.  She heard the heavy zip and then a gasp. "You went with the brocade?  Oh my god, this is gorgeous."

She giggled as he kept up a running commentary while he dressed, accompanied by the soft sounds of fabric and zippers.  She'd initially wanted to do something that hinted at her Chinese heritage, but she was not well enough versed in the popular design houses there, to make it work.  In her research, she'd ended up being influenced by the flashier men's suits out of one of the Korean houses. She went with a slightly less slim fit, but embraced the use of color and texture in the fabric.   While many traditional designers might make a flashy waistcoat, they eschewed the color and vibrancy elsewhere. She'd chosen a black and green brocade for all three pieces of the suit. She paired it with a black shirt with an Italian spread collar and green buttons.

"Oh my god, Mari, I love this.  What do I have to pay to get a suit like this?"  Adrien stepped into the space that served as her living room and her sewing space and she breathed a sigh of relief.  It had turned out perfect, and the colors were striking yet perfect on him. "You're brilliant. I mean, look at this!"  He stuck a series of end of runway poses, before hopping up and down a few times.

She laughed at his antics, and went to get his shoes.  He needed them on to ensure the hem provided no break. "Well, if this one fits you okay, and it should since it's made to your exact measurements, you can have it once I'm done with the photography."

He tilted his head.  "But that's not fair.  Let me pay you for the fabric and time, at least."

He was no longer the rich kid he'd once been.  When he left home, he'd had access to his own bank account, and a trust from his mother that he tried not to touch.  "Just the fabric cost would be fine, Adrien. I really don't want to disrupt your finances."

"I can pick up a couple of gigs to pay for it," he insisted.

She frowned.  "You don't love modeling," she objected.  "I'm still not sure I should have accepted you as my model for  **this** .  I hate to take advantage of you.  That's happened far too often."

He caught her hands.  "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you're not my father."  His voice was gentle, slightly teasing,, but there was a hint of seriousness.  "You don't push aside your family and friends constantly. You let us know we matter to you; you show that we do."  He grinned. "I should always be your model."

"Always?" she asked, wondering where he was going with this.

"Yeah.  Ooh!" His eyes went ridiculously wide.  "And maybe I should convince you to marry me, because then I could just borrow clothes from you whenever I need them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a thank you for all his help during final, Marinette has invited Adrien on a picnic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #26, picnic in Paris.
> 
> This picks up immediately after chapter 2.

"Aren't you skipping several steps?" Marinette teased.  She half wanted to pull away so she could get on with pinning any needed changes to the suit, but there was something pleasant about having his hands wrapped around hers.

He blinked innocently at her.  "Like which ones?"

Laughing, she slipped one hand out of his gentle grip to tap his nose.  "I think you have to be dating before you're allowed to propose."

He released her and rubbed at his chin as if thinking.  "How  **long** do you have to date before proposing?" he asked.

Marinette shrugged.  "Sorry, I'm not up on courting etiquette.  It hasn't really been my strong point, you know?"

"Hmmm."  He feigned thinking a bit more.  "We should do that then. Do I have to have your parents' permission to court you?  Or maybe Alya's? Do I need references? I bet Nino would vouch for me."

"Now you're being silly."  She crossed her arms over her chest.  He was joking, of course, but after spending so much time together, she didn't want him to be.  They'd been good friends when he vanished in an effort to regain control of his life, but she'd always harbored a tiny crush for him.  It had gotten a lot less tiny of late. "You shouldn't toy with my feelings like some… uncouth blaggard." She tipped her head up, giving a little sniff of displeasure.

He chuckled and caught one of her hands again.  "Hey Mari, in all seriousness, would you want to go out with me?" he asked, quickly following up with, "you can say no.  I'll understand if you just want to be friends, or if you don't want the baggage that goes along with dating a disinherited former supermodel.  I  **won't** let it ruin our friendship."

Her chest went tight for a moment, and she tilted her head to look into his hopeful face.  It had gotten oddly hard to breathe. To buy herself some time to get her voice back, she slowly brought his hand up, and kissed the back of it, the way Chat Noir did with Ladybug.  "I would love to go out with you."

* * *

Marinette gave the blanket an unnecessary tug, as though straightening it out, but it was already perfectly placed in the dappled shade at a small park. It was one of the neighborhood green spaces that tended to not fill with tourists, and while it wasn't empty or isolated, it was more peaceful than some of the more famous points in Paris.

"Hey Mari!" Adrien called, waving as he crossed the grass.

"Hi Adrien."  She stood up and met him halfway, easily wrapping her arms around his waist in their usual hug greeting.  Even before he asked her out, he'd been more tactile than the teen version of him she'd known. At some point in their efforts te get reacquainted, he'd mentioned some of his father's abusive behaviors, noting that his therapist called him touch starved.  It hurt to hear about a friend being held at such a distance by his father that he literally craved human touch.

He kissed her cheek.  "And what have you planned for us, clever lady?" he asked, apparently content to just hold her.  So far their dates had been informal, low key, and heavy on the cuddling.

"Just a simple picnic," she said, giving him a squeeze before stepping back to grab his hand and tug him to the blanket.  Although she'd dated a little during her first couple years of university, no one had been as responsive to her small cues as Adrien.  It was delightful, and sometimes he could even tell from her body language before she realized what she wanted.

"Simple?" he asked in exaggerated shock.  "You?"

She let go of his hand to settle herself an the blanket, unsurprised when he chose to sit beside her instead of across the basket from her.  "I  **can** do things that aren't complicated," she insisted, unable to keep the smile off her face.  She reached into the basket and pulled out a sandwich wrapped in white paper. "Your favorite."

He opened the wrapper and grinned.  "Where did you get this?"

"I made it, silly."  She leaned over to kiss his cheek, puzzled when he chuckled.  "What?"

"You made the bread, too, didn't you."  He breathed in the sandwich's aroma, savoring it a moment.  "Only you could bake bread to make my favorite sandwich and say it's simple."

"I could teach you," she suggested.  "Then you'll see it really is simple."

"Thanks for all this, Mari."  He waved to the blanket and basket.  "This is perfect."

"Don't thank me," she said.  "I'm trying to show my appreciation for everything you did for me with my final project, and my finals in general."  In addition to modeling for her design class, he'd taken up bringing her coffee when she most needed it. He'd set up study dates that involved him making lunch or dinner while she continued to fight with fabric or design elements.  She wasn't nearly as stressed at the end of the semester as she usually was, and it was all due to him.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek again.  "I'm glad I was able to help. But you should know it was good for me, too."

She rested her fingers over the hand he was leaning on to hover over her.  He was kind of stupidly tall now. "What do you mean?"

He straightened up but didn't pull out his hand or look away.  "It's only recently that I learned to take care of myself. It was… both harder and easier than I expected.  I've never really had the opportunity to help take care of someone else." His forehead wrinkled a little. "Not in a dependent kind of way, though I haven't done that either.  But, I thought it would be good for me to see if I could do it, if I could be supportive of someone I care for when they're under pressure."

"You did a good job."  She hoped it wasn't all just an exercise in his continued growth.

The impossibly happy smile that did stupid things to her pulse, appeared on his face.  "I liked it." He glanced down at their hands and twined their fingers together. "I expected to enjoy being with you, because that's nice all by itself, but I didn't realize how much I'd like doing small things for you."

"You did some pretty big things, too," she pointed out.  "You had your own studies, but you made us so many dinners.  And you were great at pulling me away from my projects when I needed a sanity break, while also recognizing when I should keep at something a bit longer."  She sighed. "I guess I'm kind of high maintenance during finals."

He shook his head.  "Nah. You were busy, but you never got nasty or short tempered with me.  With your projects, yes, but it never overflowed." He shrugged. "Like I said, I really enjoyed it, and a good part of the reason was that it was for you.  It's kind of like how you think making my favorite sandwich from scratch is easy."

"Oh."  He had a really good point, and her niggling fear that he had some sort of complex compelling him to earn praise, vanished.

He leaned back in and touched his forehead to hears.  "I adore you, Mari."

"And I adore you."  She lightly settled her free hand on his neck, her thumb reaching to caress his jaw.

"Am I allowed to ask you to be my girlfriend now?" he asked.  "Can we be an exclusive thing? Or is there something else I need to do first?"

She giggled.  "Yeah. I guess we didn't talk about this.  But if it helps you any, I'm not interested in dating anyone other than you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was going to do this as a speed write, but the transition between chapters took too much time for me to be able to include what I really wanted to.
> 
> I'm going to try to get today's prompt, and the final chapter in this piece done later today in my effort to complete Adrinette April on time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien explore the world of kabedon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #29, the wall

"Well this is unexpected," Adrien announced.  He stood in her apartment's doorway, his eyes on the candle-lit dinner already placed on the table.

Marinette grinned at him.  "You mean, you don't usually eat like this?"  She intentionally went over the top on her feigned innocence.  "I was just trying to make you feel at home." She spun, feeling the delightful swish of the short red skater skirt as it flowed around her legs.  She popped up onto her toes, stretching to put something on the top shelf of her cupboard.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked, closing the door with a soft click.

"Absolutely not," she replied firmly.  "I'm very fond of you." She glanced over her shoulder at him, delighted with the slightly flustered vibe he was giving off.  "Can't a girl thank her boyfriend for all his help?"

He pushed off his shoes.  "See, that would work if you hadn't  **already** thanked me for my part during finals."  He shrugged. "A part I fully intend to embrace at midterms and finals next semester, incidentally."

She laughed.  He made her so happy, it didn't seem fair. "That was  **before** I got my grades," she pointed out.  "Now that I have them, additional appreciation seems… appropriate."

He took a couple of slow steps toward her, his gait a rolling lope that oddly reminded her of Chat Noir stalking something.  The way he canted his head, gazing at her through lowered eyelids only reinforced the feeling that she was being hunted.

"What are you doing?' she asked, giggling.  She felt, not nervous, though it was related, perhaps anticipation was the best description.  Independent Adrien was silly, fun, and absurdly sexy.

He smirked, but continued his almost lazy walk toward her.  "I'm putting pressure on my amazing and beautiful girlfriend, to find out what she's up to," he drawled.

"Pressure?"  She shrugged.  "Not feeling it."

Her apartment was small and he hadn't taken more than two more steps before her claim was a lie.  It wasn't exactly a physical sensation, but there was a presence emanating off her boyfriend that she'd never felt from him before.  They were magnets, and the closer he came, the more she felt the pull. In an effort to retain control, she took a slow step back, and he hesitated a moment until her teasing smile taunted him to continue his leisurely pursuit.

This continued until she backed into a wall.  She drew a sharp breath, not daring to look away.

His grin expanded to show a bit of teeth.  "Feeling it now, then?" he asked, his voice a low purr.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."  Why did she have to sound so stupidly breathless?

He closed the distance between them, pressing her against the wall with his body.  She closed her eyes and savored the sensation for a moment. He was warm and firm, but nothing about it was uncomfortable.

He brushed his cheek against hers.  "Marinette," he murmured in her ear.  "I love you."

Biting back a whimper, she slipped her hands under his arms to rest on his shoulders, holding him close.  "I love you, too." Pushing against the wall, she managed to pivot them, effectively switching their positions with a thump.  "As your girlfriend, I'm allowed to spoil you, and I don't even need a reason." The way he sagged in her grip, she suspected she and the wall were the only things keeping him upright.  "And while I **did** just get my grades, I had this all planned before then."

He gazed down at her.  "I like this."

She blinked up at him a moment.  "Which part?"

"Being on this side of kabedon." He reached out to brush his thumb across her cheek.  "The photos from your final project have made their way to folks in the industry, not a surprise, but one of the editors from  Numéro called me to see if we would be willing to do a joint interview."

"Why would they want to interview… well either of us?"  It seemed odd. He didn't model anymore, she'd assumed three years was enough for him to fall off the radar, and she wasn't anyone special.

"You're the designer who brought me back to the runway when no one else could." He let out a chuckle.  "And they recognized a phenomenal up and coming designer when they looked into you a bit." He patted the wall behind him.  "If you're willing to do it, and you totally should, we need to pose like this."

She laughed but didn't step back or let go. "Why?"

"Trust me, this is sexy as hell," he explained with a nod.  "It's a nice twist on the dynamic usually used in kabedon poses.  And trust me, if I wear that suit for it, you're going to get fashion houses and investors lining up to meet with you."

"You just want to wear that suit again," she teased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies if this feels uninspired. The prompt was not terribly exciting for me, and it was hard to keep my take on it within the rating of the story (and I wanted to stay with sweet fluffiness, too). I don't feel like this has a particularly good ending, so I expect to come back to this for a better wrap up at some point.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Marinette and Adrien's interview in Numéro help advance her career? And how will it impact their relationship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who've been waiting for this wrap up, thank you so much for your patience. I hope you enjoy.

Marinette sat at her desk, triaging her email into priority folders. Her professional account, linked to the little online boutique she ran, had been swamped in the last few days. She'd had to put up a notice that order processing was running behind, and she'd send out confirmations and connect with custom orders as soon as she could.  

Summer was usually a big time for commissions because she was out of class and could get more done. She'd actually finished several this morning… before things got even weirder than than they'd been lately, and her desire to sew went down the drain.

Someone knocked on her door, in a very familiar sequence, and she smiled, looking up as Adrien let himself in. He was wearing slightly faded but comfortable looking navy shorts and a Jagged Stone t-shirt. As much as she enjoyed seeing him all modeled up, this was the Adrien she loved seeing. Just Adrien himself.

"Hey Mari!"  Despite dating for several months now, his smile still had the power to warm her.

"I'm really glad to see you," she said, shutting her laptop and pushing herself away from the desk.

"In need of a distraction?"  He pointed at himself with both thumbs.  "I'm your guy."

"That you are."  She giggled. "And not just for distractions and modeling."

"Seriously, though, is there something wrong?"  He pushed his sandals into a corner on the mat with one foot before stepping lightly over to her.  For such a tall guy, he moved incredibly quietly. She supposed it had to do with his years of athletics and modeling.  He glanced at the pile of papers on her desk. "I expected you to be working on your projects."

"I finished three this morning." She sighed.  "My email kinda blew up." She shrugged. "I mean, I knew I'd get some reactions because of the article, but… this is far more than I expected."

"Is it too much?" he asked quietly, his smile fading as worry took over his features. "I probably shouldn't have talked you into it." He swept up her hands.  "I'm sorry Mari. I was just so excited to be able to help people see how amazing you are."

She stopped his apology with a quick kiss. "No, Adrien. It was fun, and a really good experience. I'm glad we did it."  She glanced over at the table where the photo section of the article was spread open. She was stupidly fond of some of those pictures, and was waiting for an enlargement of the kabedon pose he'd insisted on; he'd been so right about it being sexy as hell, and she wanted it on her wall. "There  **have** been some downsides, but you're right. It really is good for my career." She needed to tell him about the less pleasant part of her day and this was a perfect segue.

He sighed. "Oh. Good. I was worried for a bit there."  He kissed her hands. "I'm still a little concerned, though. I can see something's bothering you."

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment to gather strength. "I saw Gabriel today."

Adrien froze.

"He… um... stopped by unannounced, actually." Given that Gabriel Agreste was a cold calculating bastard, she was certain it was intended to surprise her and put her off balance. He probably hoped to catch Adrien at her place.

"Did he threaten you?" Adrien asked quietly, a dangerous yet oddly familiar edge to his voice.

She shook her head. "No. But it was terribly uncomfortable to have him show up out of the blue, expecting that I'd be delighted for the chance to have an internship with him. As if he thinks I don't know what an absolute fuckwad he is."

Adrien's eyes opened a bit wider at the expletive. He licked his lip. "What did you tell him?"

" **No** , obviously."  She rolled her eyes.  "Adrien, I would  **never** do that to you. Fashion is the career I feel passionate about, and I love doing it, but you are more important than a possible stepping stone forward in my career."

He looked stunned, and a bit of pink worked into his cheeks. Ugh.  He was unfairly beautiful.

She pulled one hand out of his to press her palm to his cheek. "I love you. But even if we were still just friends, I couldn't work with Gabriel."  She glanced away for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "I'd probably spend an unhealthy amount of time trying to figure out how to stage an unfortunate accident."

Adrien let out a bark of laughter that was followed by a string of chuckles.

She shrugged. "I hate him for what he did to you."  She toyed with the bit of blond hair hanging down on his forehead, knowing that he relished these little touches. "So I told him I didn't think it was a good idea for us to work together. He naturally claimed to be surprised, but I don't believe it for an instant."  She huffed. "I'm sure this isn't the last I'll hear from him, and I don't think for one moment he was motivated by my design skill."

That sobered Adrien up. "To be fair, he  **does** recognize quality designs and talent."

Marinette shook her head. "Everything about his visit, the way he looked around my apartment. I'm certain he was hoping to dazzle me with his offer and as a result gain access to you."

Adrien's entire manner drooped. "Do you want me to talk to him? Tell him to back off?" he asked.

She frowned. "When is the last time you talked to him?"

"Other than the phone call when I told him I was alive but to leave me the fuck alone?" he asked.  When she nodded, he added, "I honestly couldn't tell you. It was sometime during gap year. We never saw each other much, despite living in the same house. Most of his messages came through Nathalie."

"I do  **not** want you to contact him," she said, making sure to speak a little slower to emphasize her point. "Unless there's something you need to do for closure, something your therapist thinks will help you, I would be perfectly content if you never speak to him again."

He grinned. "I like that plan."

"I'm fine handling him if he comes poking his nose in our business."  When she leaned in to kiss his cheek, Adrien caught her in a hug. It was exactly what she needed, so she relaxed against him.  "Hmmm. You give the best hugs."

* * *

"You're moving?" Marinette asked, looking up from the tagliatelle they'd made together.  For some reason, his words brought a rush of adrenaline and panic.

"My lease expires at the end of the month, and I need to move to this side of town."  He reached across her little table and rested his hand over hers. "I've been doing a lot of commuting since I transferred schools, and I'd like to cut back on that.  It's been my plan since I applied." His fingers drew little lines across the back of her hand. "I want to be closer to you, though, too."

Taking a breath, Marinette relaxed. Of course he wasn't leaving. He'd promised. "I'd like that."  She loved her apartment, but its one big drawback was that it really was too small for both of them and all their stuff.  Even if they were ready to move in together at the end of the month, which she wouldn't be averse to her apartment wasn't going to work. "Have you been looking?"

He nodded, finally retracting his hand to pick up his silverware.  "I've found a place I like, but…" His cheeks pinked slightly. "I'd like your approval, if that's… not too weird."

"It's not  **that** weird."  It probably was, but she wasn't going to tell him that.  "You don't need my approval, you know that, right?"

He poked at his pasta for a moment, clearly thinking.  "Yeah, but… I want to make sure you don't hate the location."  Without moving his head, he looked up at her from under his lashes.

"Agh!"  She waved her hands in front of his face. "No sexy modeling tricks at the table."  She picked up her salad bowl. "Not in front of the salad, Adrien. We've talked about this."  She was happy when he laughed at her response. "I guess it's reasonable to make sure I'm comfortable coming over to visit you," she agreed.  "Where is this place?"

He shrugged, looking sheepish, then pointed up.  "Fourth floor, across the hall."

She felt her mouth drop open.  He was going to move into her building?  "Really?" she asked. It would be so convenient when he wanted to stay over now, and he wouldn't have to be hauling clothes from place to place, not that she minded, of course.

"Is that okay?" he asked.  "I don't want to crowd you, but…"  He bit his bottom lip. "I like it here.  I know you like it here, and… I like the idea of being this close to you."

"It's perfect," she insisted.  "I probably would've invited you to move in with me, but…"  She waved one hand to indicate the small space, currently overtaken by her commission projects.  She would never be able to share a one-bedroom apartment with him.

"You're amazing, Marinette," he said a little breathlessly.  "I'd love to live with you, and… well, that's kind of the other reason I want you to see the place."

"Oh." It came out as almost a whisper.  She'd heard the fourth floor apartments were bigger.

"By the time your lease comes up, I'm hoping I can convince you to move in with me." He shrugged.  "I'm still working on that plan to get you to marry me, you know." His tone said he was teasing, but the look in his eyes said he wasn't. He tilted his head a bit. "So what do you think?"

She set down her silverware.  There was no way she could eat right now.  "I think we need to table dinner in favor of a snuggle on the couch."

He nodded.  "I can get behind that."  He stood up and reached for her hand, tugging her to her feet.  "Is this a good snuggle?"

"It's an emotionally overwhelmed snuggle," she said, stumbling a bit and crashing face first into his chest. "How did I get so lucky to get to share my life with you?"

"Does that mean you'll consider moving in with me?" Hopeful Adrien reminded her of a begging puppy, enthusiastic and adorable.

"My lease runs another three months, and I would love to move in with you."

He sat down, pulling her into his lap and nestling his face into her neck. "Please don't take it wrong if my eyes start leaking," he whispered.  "I'm just really happy right now."

"You must  **really** like that suit." She let her thumb caress the plane of his cheek bone.

"It's got nothing to do with the suit,"  he insisted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for joining me on this adventure. I hope the fluff was satisfying. 
> 
> I have a few things I'm going to try to get to before Fluff August (including the Bobbin Bug sequel and the "Catching Chances" (Marichat May) epilogue.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has borrowed a cottage for a summer weekend with his love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for the ML Fluff Month day 19 prompt, weekend together

"So where exactly are we going?" Marinette asked, settling her small suitcase by her feet. The train to the country was less crowded than she expected for a Friday mid-morning.

Adrien positively beamed at her. "It's a surprise." He leaned over to kiss the tip of her nose. They'd already planned to spend the weekend together, and he'd shown up late last night telling her to pack for the weekend.

He was having such fun being clever, and he was clearly very proud of himself, and didn't have the heart to even try to spoil it. "How are we affording this?" she wanted to know. They'd discussed their individual finances plenty over the last month as he'd settled in to his new, far less dumpy apartment upstairs from hers. They were on relatively equal footing in some ways, though he still had a bit of savings left over from his modeling days.  Well, earlier modeling days, since it sounded like he was picking up a few jobs here and there as it fit into his summer schedule.

He wriggled in his seat a bit, so pleased he couldn't keep still. " **We** aren't having to worry about anything other than meals."

She caught her lip in her teeth. Her boyfriend was so affectionate and kind. She could see him doing something absurd just to surprise her. "Should I ask how you're affording it, then?"

He chuckled. "It's not coming out of my finances, either." He captured her near hand with both of his. "And before you start catastrophizing, I've done nothing illegal or immoral."

She giggled. "Well that's a relief."

"I know you, Mari," he teased, nuzzling her cheek. "But I promise. It's all on the up and up, and it's completely free. I just know someone who was willing to loan me their cottage this weekend. And I thought it would be nice to get away from the city and just… be us." He let go with one of his hands to toy with loose strands of hair. If they were anywhere else, he'd probably have her in his lap for cuddles, given how handsy he was. "You might get some nice new inspirations for your sketchbook. We can take walks or lie around listening to the birds." He sighed happily.

"Oh," she whispered. He was drawing up a really nice fantasy for her, one she could totally get on board with. "That's so nice." She brought his hand up to kiss his knuckles, a move that had somehow become standard for her. "You are the sweetest boyfriend ever."

He leaned back in his seat, simply grinning at her. "Yes. That's my plan. I will be so sweet that no one else can ever compare, and you'll decide to keep me."

"That's a very good plan," she agreed, squeezing his hand.

* * *

The cottage was a bit bigger than Marinette had been expecting, but it was surrounded by wildflowers and sparse trees that provided lovely shade. A hand-paved  walk lead to the front door, around both sides of the house, and to a patio in back. There was a firebowl and a lovely swing chair for two. In the locked shed, there were two bicycles with large front and back baskets for riding into town for groceries.

Adrien watched as Marinette loosened both seat posts with a crescent wrench, adjusting them to his longer and her shorter legs. "You're brilliant," he said. "I would've just suffered with too low a seat."

She giggled. "I'm a pretty hands on kind of gal."

"I've noticed." He winked at her. "I like it."

She snorted. "That's not what I meant, you naughty man."

"I know.  But it's equally true."

"And I'm nowhere near as **hands on** as you are," she teased. Knowing what his life had been like, that he literally craved human contact, it wasn't a surprise, and she was happy to indulge him.

"See," he pointed out. "We're like totally made for each other. No one else is going to want my needy ass."

She leaned to the side as if looking behind him. "I don't know.  It's a very nice ass. One of my all time favorites."

He laughed so hard he snorted, then they had to wait for him to calm down enough to balance. "Well me and my ass would love to take you to town for lunch. There's a little boulangerie I've heard great things about. Not as good as your folks' place, of course, but good for lunch. Then we can pick up groceries and come back here to cuddle or nap or whatever we feel like doing."

"You and your ass have such great ideas," she said, stepping over the bike frame. "I'd follow you anywhere."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write
> 
> Next prompt is a follow up to this, and I'm going to try to get it posted tonight yet, because I feel in the zone on this story. The fluff is strong with me!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fluffy times for Adrienette during their weekend at the cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for the ML Fluff Month day 20 prompt, wish.
> 
> There's no on screen sex in this chapter, but it's implied. 
> 
> This is the second chapter I've posted this evening, so if you haven't read about the trip to the country, you should check out chapter six first.

Marinette leaned into Adrien's side, her toes barely touching the cobblestones beneath the swing as he gently rocked them back and forth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the smells of the flowers as they blended with Adrien's natural scent. The gentle buzzing of bees and the chattering of birds were so different from the road noise and sounds of so many people concentrated in one place. She loved Paris, but this was a really nice break. 

She'd let her superhero teammates know she'd be out of town, discovering that Chat would also be gone, but Carapace had a plan for capturing and holding an akuma if needed. Rena and Queenie had all but ordered her to finally take a goddamn vacation, something she'd never felt comfortable doing. But even Tikki had insisted it would be okay. She needed to rechange. And her relationship with Adrien was still new enough that dedicated time was important. Truly understanding each other was an essential part of taking the first steps to integrating their lives.

"Are you sleeping?" Adrien asked quietly.

She slowly shook her head. "Just enjoying being in the moment. Being here, with you."

His arm tightened around her. "Me too." She felt his lips and nose nuzzle her hair at the top of her head. "You work so hard, Mari. I know you're going to have an amazing fashion career. You have the drive, and the passion, and the impossibly fantastic designs. But you don't take breaks."

"Yes I do," she countered gently. "I make sure to take breaks whenever we're together."  She hesitated, then added, "Unless I have a stroke of inspiration, of course."

He chuckled, his breath warm on her scalp. "You're actually really good at making sure I'm appreciated. It's… unexpected. A little weird for me, to be honest, but I like it."

She opened her eyes and moved to look up at him, slowly so she didn't knock him in the chin as he had at least twice when they were new at this. "I know what your home life was like. I sometimes worry that it's not good for you to be… involved with a designer after the way your father treated you."

He opened his mouth to protest, and she reached up to gently press two fingers against his lips.

"I'm greedy." She shrugged. "I love you too much to give you up simply because I share career aspirations with your abusive father." It hurt a little that she could feel him relax after those words, as if he'd been genuinely concerned. "So it's important to me that I set everything aside and make time for you. I don't ever want you to feel like I take you for granted." She'd hate herself if she did that to him. "I know that the patterns we establish now could be with us for our entire relationship, so I'm trying to make sure what I'm doing is healthy and good."

He looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes again, this time with tears clearly preparing to drip from his. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Let's go inside," she suggested. "I kind of want to do some more hard core snuggling than I think this swing is up for."

He scooped her up and stood in one smooth movement. He didn't have huge bulging muscles, but every once in a while he did something to remind her that he was kind of ridiculously strong.

* * *

 

"Are you willing to tell me how you swung this cottage?" Marinette asked as her fingers lazily skated back and forth over his ribs. They were covered only by a light sheet as the breeze through the windows had been just a bit too much.

"I didn't tell you because I wanted this to be a surprise."

"I know." She kissed his upper chest.

"I'm not going to keep secrets from you, Mari, not unless I really have to." His eyes were closed as he relaxed under her gentle touch, much less stimulating than her earlier touches had been. "Do you remember Vincent?"

"The photographer?" Marinette asked.

He nodded.  "He contacted me out of the blue last week. He was working as part of a show that had a model drop out less than two days before. He'd seen the stuff in  Numéro and thought maybe I'd be willing to consider some freelancing.  I remembered him telling me about his cottage when I still worked regularly with him, and I agreed to do the show if he'd give me a weekend."

"Oh, wow."

She felt his chest move abruptly as he huffed. "Yeah, that was what I said.  He even got me in touch with an agent with a good rep, who'd be willing to take me on for whatever I felt like doing."

"What do you feel like doing?" she asked, wondering what he was thinking. He was a bit harder to read than usual.

"I'm going to pick up a little work, here and there," he said. "I'm good at it."

"You're very good at it," she agreed.

"Modeling for you reminded me that there were parts I enjoyed." He sighed. "I wish it hadn't been tainted by all the jobs Gabriel forced me into, jobs I was never allowed to refuse, even if I was uncomfortable with them."

She hugged him tightly.

"I needed to get away from it for several years before I could even consider it, but now… I might enjoy it a little."

"If you enjoy it, you should do it." She pushed herself up on her elbow to look down at him. "But when it stops being fun, you can be done."

He smiled up at her. "I wish it hadn't taken me so long to find my way back to you, Mari."  He reached up to push his hand through her hair. "But I guess I needed to do a bit a healing before I was ready for this, for us."

She settled back against his chest. "I really like this us," she agreed. "And while it might have been nice to do this sooner, I think you're right. You needed to be healthy first."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speedwrite
> 
> I'm having trouble hitting Tumblr, so both of these chapters will go up in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek at Sunday morning of Adrien and Marinette's little romantic weekend away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for the ML Fluff Month day 28 prompt, unexpected reveal.

Marinette set down her idea book and stretched her legs out for a moment. The dappled shade of this edge of the cottage garden was perfect and comfortable, and she was pretty sure she could sit there all afternoon. Adrien had cleared away the remains of their picnic and sprawled out for a nap while she sketched. He'd been right about this weekend away recharging her and giving her design ideas.  

From the position of the sun, she realized their lunch had actually been quite some time ago. Worried that she'd let herself become too immersed in her drawing and designing, she looked down at her boyfriend to see if he was feeling neglected. At some point, he'd rolled onto his side facing toward her. His eyes were open, blinking slowly as he gazed across the garden. She looked over, seeing just a few butterflies and bees buzzing over the flowers, and a couple of birds hopping around a feeder.

For some reason, Adrien seemed mesmerized by the birds, his eyes shifting to catch their every movement. She reached down to settle her hand in his hair, and without averting his gaze, he shifted to rest his head in her lap. Smiling happily, and always eager to give him a bit of affection, she moved the fingers of both hands into his hair to massage his scalp.  She'd discovered quite by accident that it was something he really enjoyed.

He let out a hum and his blinks got longer, but he didn't close his eyes as he often did. She could sense tension in his body, though it was less about him being overworked or exhausted, and more about his muscles being tense and ready to move. Certain she could get him to melt into a cuddly pile of boyfriend with just a bit more effort, she focused her fingers on his favorite places.

If anyone had told her a year ago that she'd be spending a romantic getaway with anyone, much less her long time crush, she would have found their fortune telling hilarious. But she was here, with him, and after having him back in her life for nearly six months, most of which she'd been dating him for, nothing about this felt rushed or funny. She'd originally planned to spend her weekend moving small things into his apartment, as it was set to become their apartment in the next few weeks. It had reached a point that it really didn't make sense to keep the separate spaces, even though her lease still had about a month left.  They hadn't spent a night alone in their own place since he'd asked her to move in with him.

"Rrrrrrr." The low noise coming from Adrien's throat startled her out of her contented thoughts, but it wasn't alarming enough to make her fingers stop. Usually he hummed and groaned when she did this. Not… whatever that was. "Murrrrrrr- **erp** ."

It sounded sort of like a growl, and she bit her lip to keep from giggling. Looking over, she could see that a few more birds had joined those already poking about in the grass. The noises were growing more frequent and louder, and he'd started to fidget.  "Are you grumbling at the birds?" she finally asked, completely unable to keep the mirth out of her voice.

Every muscle in his body seemed to tense at once, then he relaxed, glancing up.at her. "I'm allergic.  I don't want them to come any closer." He slipped an arm around her waist and cuddled closer. "And they can't have you.  You're mine."

She snickered. "They aren't going to steal me away," she promised. "I'm yours."

He looked back at the birds, a smug grin on his face. "Hear that,silly birbs.  She's  **mine** ."

* * *

Marinette kicked off her covers, abruptly awake and a little too warm. She rolled over, surprised to find Adrien's side empty. She reached over and patted his space. Was that what had woken her? Did he have a nightmare? She'd been there for a few of those, and he admitted that while bad dreams were less common than they'd once been, they were still fairly routine.

Frowning, she sat up. She'd told him, in no uncertain terms, that he should wake her up in those situations. She had reached the bedroom door when she heard his voice from the other room.

"I need to tell her," he said. "This isn't fair to her. She  **trusts** me. This violates  **all** of that."

"It's your call," a nasal voice said, dismissively. "You know what'll happen if you blab to her before talking to your partners."

Marinette inched into the hallway, worried now. Who was he talking to, and what was he keeping from her? She forced her fears back, armed with the awareness that she was keeping a pretty huge secret from him. She'd been talking with Tikki off and on about when it would be okay to tell him she was Ladybug.

"They'll try to talk me out of it," Adrien snapped, a tone that sounded oddly familiar, though she was certain she'd never heard him use it around her. "You know they will. And I can't…" She heard his ragged inhalation from her spot in the hall. "I deserve to be happy now._

"Do you  **really** think she's going to leave you over this?" the other voice asked. "She loves you, you idiot. And she forgives people, I've seen it.  Sure, it might be… uncomfortable or a little awkward for a few days, but she's not the kind to dump you for keeping a secret like this.  She'll understand."

"You don't  **know** that," Adrien countered, a tremble in his voice.

Straightening up, Marinette shoved aside any hurt feelings that he'd kept something from her. Hearing him sound like that, so truly distressed was all it took to push her forward. She would listen to what he had to say. She would understand, if she could. She walked out into the kitchen. "Adrien, are you --" Her voice vanished at the sight of Adrien leaning back on the counter, a tiny black cat hovering in front of him.

Adrien gasped, his green eyes going more round than she'd even seen, even when he was attempting kitten eyes, an expression she suddenly realized was totally appropriate coming from him. His knuckles went white as he gripped the countertop.

The kwami, Plagg, she'd remembered Tikki calling him, settled on Adrien's shoulder. "Miaow," he said, not really making an effort to sound like a cat.

Marinette let the new knowledge settle into her mind, surprised how well it fit. Smiling softly, she moved slowly but steadily across the room to where her kitty looked like he might launch himself anywhere if she wasn't careful. "It's okay, Adrien," she promised, worried when he didn't relax. She slowly reached out, pausing before touching him. When he didn't bolt, she rested her palm against his cheek. "It's you," she said, gazing up at him.  How had she not seen it before? She raised her other hand to the spot above his right ear that he liked to have massaged. "Oh… it really is. And it makes so much sense now."

Plagg met her eyes, something about his tiny cat face smug. "Oops," he said, not sounding remotely sorry.  "Cats, bags, and all that jazz."

She grinned. "Plagg, how about you go visit Tikki?"

"Don't mind if I do," Plagg said, floating up off Adrien's shoulder. "Be gentle with my kid."

She let out a little laugh. "Don't worry Plagg. I've got this… in the bag."

"Meep," Adrien squeaked.

Marinette considered the best way to help him. What had he and Plagg been arguing about? What did he need most. "I still love you, and I understand why you kept this secret. There's no need to ask for forgiveness, because you've done nothing wrong."

He looked puzzled, his eyes taking their more usual shape. "You… know Plagg?" he asked slowly.

She shook her head. "Not really. I mean, I've never met him." She pulled away from his hair to catch his hand. "But I've heard about him."

"You've heard about…" Her poor boyfriend was too tightly wound and startled to make the logical leap. "From who?"

"My kwami, of course," she explained. "She's his other half, I guess, and when she misses him, she likes to tell me about him."

"She misses… You have a kwami? She's Plagg's other half?" His brain was apparently coming back online, and his critical thinking 

"Yes, Chaton." She lifted his hand to her lips. "Just like you're my other half, even when we don't realize it."

"Oh!" he gasped. "You're Ladybug," he whispered.

"And you're my Chat Noir," she agreed with a nod.

He pulled his hand out of hers and immediately cupped her face. "Oh, I see it.  I see you." Despite the early hour, the kitchen suddenly felt brighter with his smile. "Now I  **really** have to convince you to marry me. Can you imagine how Alya will react if Chat Noir and Ladybug get engaged?  Strategically announcing it a few months after us, of course…"

"You're a ridiculous man," Marinette said, pushing forward to hug him. "I'm keeping you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm behind, and I was so immersed in this particular story, I figured I may as well go ahead with this prompt now.
> 
> Special thanks to EmberLight for the idea triggering the scene of Adrien watching birbs.
> 
> I'm in the land of incomplete internet access, so I won't be able to tackle Tumblr with these until I get home, though I'm going to try to hit at least one prompt a day, early in the morning, while we're at a sort of pop up family reunion.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where this story's content for Adrinette April 2019, begins.
> 
> This chapter is for Adrinette April prompt #5, clumsy.

Marinette carried a small stack of boxes through the hall toward Adrien's apartment.  She'd been gradually moving her stuff into his new place since he unpacked from his own move.  It started with small things, space in his closet, a dedicated drawer in the bathroom. When it became clear that he wasn't going to truly settle in or decorate until she got there, and she was spending her nights there anyway, it just made sense for her to step up her migration.  After their weekend in the country, they'd moved in her kitchen things. After today, her sewing and designing gear would be all she had left downstairs. It was both a ridiculously easy move, relaxed and spread over weeks, but also a little irritating to pack everything things just to ferry them up one flight of stairs.

His… or rather **their** apartment door was propped open.  She was still adjusting to that, and he'd been adamant that it wasn't just his place. She could hear him talking to someone in the other room, and wondered if it was on phone or in person. She crossed the threshold and promptly tripped over the shoes she couldn't see due to the boxes in her hands. She might have let out a shriek of surprise as she and the boxes both went flying.

Everything was a blur for a moment, and she was reasonably sure she executed a one-handed cartwheel in the process. The next thing she knew, she was standing balanced on one foot with one box balanced on her knee and the other on her head, supported by the twin buns she'd pulled her hair into that morning.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, rushing over. His lips twitched in the way they did when he wanted to tell her how adorable she was but he thought she'd throw things at him. He divested her of both boxes, setting them aside to grasp her upper arms in both hands.

"That was quite the… well, it wasn't a fall exactly," said a balding middle-aged man who stood halfway between the hallway and the spare room that would become her new office. He was their building manager Rudolf, and she hadn't realized they were expecting a visit from him. "A feat of acrobatics, rather. Are you all right, Miss Marinette?"

Marinette nodded, feeling a bit shaky.  She glanced to the doorway and realized it was his shoes that gave her the flying lesson. "Yeah. But I think that's my last load for the day."

"Did you pull something?" Adrien asked, traces of worry apparent in his voice. "Are you hurt?"

"Pfft!" Marinette let out a laugh. "With how klutzy I am, I've learned how to fall… or not fall." She grinned at him. "But once I start tripping like that, I've learned it's best to just stop everything and sit for a while or it's just going to get worse and I will damage something."

"So just the sewing stuff left?" Adrien asked.

She nodded. "Two bins of fabrics and notions, the serger, the sewing machine, and an unreasonably large collection of thread." She'd been amused with his reaction when he saw her thread rack.

"Adrien was just talking to me about the updates to the lighting in your office," Rudolf explained, gesturing to the spare room. "I'll be able to get that taken care of by end of next week. Sorry it can't be sooner."

"Oh no, that's fine," Marinette insisted. She'd actually expected it to take longer.

"We can set up your sewing things in the living room tomorrow," Adrien suggested. "I don't want you to miss out on commissions."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "It'll be a bit of a clutter." It was part of the reason she'd left her sewing gear for last.

Adrien nodded and gestured toward Rudolf.

"If you can guarantee you'll be out of the old place in three days," he said, "I can refund most of the month's rent. I have someone in need of a place immediately, and I'd be happy to terminate your lease early to make that work."

"Really?" Marinette asked. That was a really nice unexpected bonus. She smiled up at Adrien. "Are you ready for the full Marinette invasion?"

He laughed, and for a moment she felt like she'd been transported to their first days as friends, when his umbrella had closed on her. "I have been eagerly awaiting your occupation since I first moved in."

Shaking her head, she turned back to Rudolf. "Honestly, I can be out by tonight, if it helps. It's even cleaned, and I ran over the carpet with a magnet this morning."

"A magnet?" Rudolf asked, puzzled.

"To make sure I'm not leaving behind any stray pins."

"Aah.  That'll be a bonus, having the wood floor in your new office, then, I suppose," the man said.

"Fewer pins in your toes," Adrien suggested.  "I'm all for that."

"Just drop by with the keys when you're out. And I'll get back to you on the specifics for the lighting work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have at least one more chapter for this story for Adrinette April, but it will be several days before I can get back to it because Saturday is the deadline to get a beta to my critique group.
> 
> Started as a 30 minute sprint, but I kept getting interrupted by kids and life.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to visit me over on [Tumblr](http://freedom-shamrock.tumblr.com/). If you have constructive feedback or need to discuss an aspect of this story, I've found that sort of thing tends to work better via direct messaging or asks than the comments section here.


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